Praying stand



May 13 1924. 1,493,972

' s.DucA

' PRAYING STAND Original File ly 18. 1922 s Sheets-Sheet 1 May 13 1924. 1,493,972

Y j s. DUCA PRAYING STAND Original Filed July 18. 1922 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 J 12 44 ,v 1- 4-.

May 13 1924.

S. DUCA I PRAYING STAND original Filed July 18, 1.922 3 Shgets-Sheet 5 Patented May 13, 1924.

umrso STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SANTE DUCA, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

PRAYING- STAND.

Original application filed. July 18, 1922, Serial No. 575,843. Divided and this application filed December 11, 1922. Serial No. 606,145.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SANTE Does, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county and State of New York,

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Praying Stands, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact specification.

This invention relates to praying stands and has for its object to provide such a stand with a collapsible prayer frame adapted to be retracted into the body ofsaid stand when not in use or projected and expanded on the stand in convenient position to be used in devotional exercises.

It is the aim of the invention to assemble the prayer frame on the stand in such a way that when the former is folded and retracted into the latter, said stand may be used in the same way as an ordinary stand which is not provided with said frame. time, the stand is equipped with said frame which may be quickly brought into position for use whenever desired. Thus the prayer frame is added to the equipment of the stand without interfering with the ordinary uses of the latter. The prayer frame is designed to carry one or more prayers which are frequently used in devotional'services, and said prayers are preferably printed or embossed, or otherwise written on material stretched on the frame, in letters or characters large enough to be easily read by worshi pers.

nother object is to provide for adjusting the frame at different inclinations when it is rojected and expanded on the stand, where hy the prayers may be brought into the best view of worshipers of difierent sizes, and also arranged to catch the best light in the room. The invention further contemplates the provision of means for automatically locking the frame in extended position when it is expanded after being drawn out of the stand. The invention will be first hereinafter described in connection with the accompanying drawings, which constitute part of this specification, and then more specifically defined in the claims at the end of the specification.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein similar reference characters are used to designate corresponding parts throughout the several views Figure 1 is a front elevation of a prayer At the same stand constructed substantially in accordance with this invention, the prayer frame being retracted.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the top or desk of the stand with the stool broken away.

Figure 4 is a rear elevation of the stand as shown in Figures 1 and 2.

Figure 5 is a vertical section on the line V-V of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a front elevation of the upper portion of the stand showing the prayer frame raised and supported in position for use.

Figure 7 is a section on the line VHVIT of Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary section on an enlarged scale of the lower edge portion of the prayer frame and adjacent parts of the stand as shown in Figure 7.

Figure 9 is a broken front view of the same parts, and

Figure 10 is a. View similar to Figure 8 but showing the parts in the positions they occupy when the prayer frame is first raised and before its supporting rack is swung rearwardly.

This application is a division of my copending application for praying or confessional stands, filed July 18, 1922, Ser. No. 575,843.

"The prayer stand 1 may consist of two side membeis 2 supporting the desk 3 at their upper ends and having forward exw tensions 4 on their lower portions for supporting the stool or bench 5. The rear edges of the side members maybe braced at their lower portions by a cross piece 6 shown in Figures 1, 2 and 4.

In the desk or top of the stand there is a slot or notch 43 which is adapted to be closed by a strip 44 secured along the upper edge of a prayer frame 45 in which may be fitted a piece of suitable-material 46 having a prayer or other inscription shown thereon. The slot or notch 43 may open on the rear edge of the desk 3 for a portion of its length, providing ample space to be gripped for raising said frame 45 from folded to raised position.

The frame 45 is pivoted at its lower corners to lugs ofiset and rigidly secured to a sup ortmg frame 47 which is adapted to fold at upon the frame 45 when the latter is to be retracted into the stand, or may be swung rearwardly into horizontal position,

as shown in Figure 7, for engaging the prop 48 which is pivoted at 49 to said frame 45 to hold the latter in position for use. The supporting frame 47 has notched members or strips 50 to be engaged by the prop 48 in order to support the frame 45, which carries the prayer, at different inclinations so that said prayer may be seen under the most favorable conditions of light, 'etc. Said prop may also be folded fiat upon the prayer frame when the latteris to be retracted into the stand.

The supporting frame 47 has a cross bar 51 at its inner edge which projects at its ends through said frame into the grooves or ways of channel bars 52 suitably fastened to the inner faces of the side members 2 of the stand. Said channels are broad enough to accommodate the lugs 60 when they are arranged transversely thereof, as when the supporting frame 47 is folded and retracted into the stand. \Vhen the frame 47 is folded and retracted into the stand with the prayer frame 45, said frame 47 occupies a position at the rear of said prayer frame and in the rear portion of the channels 52, see Figures 5 and 10, but when said frames are raised to the top of the channels in projecting them from the stand, the projecting ends 53 of the cross bar 51 are guided to the front portion of the channels by curved guides 54, see Figures 7, 8 and 9, and when the frame 47 is thus automatically swung rearwardly to horizontal position it rests upon the upper ends 56 of the rear side portions of the channels while the ends 53 of the cross bar 51 engage below overhanging portions 55 at the front margin of said channels and arranged as continuations of the guides 54.

It will be noted that the lugs 60 are se cured to the frame 47 near the points where said frame rests upon the 11 per ends 56 of the rear side portions of tie channels 52, and that the center of gravity of said frame 47, when in horizontal position, falls considerably in rear of said supporting ends 56, whereby the prayer frame 45 is automatically held in raised position above the desk 3 by the swinging of the supporting frame 47 to its horizontal position. It will also be observed that the guides 54 may be secured in place by rivets 57, Figure 8, or other suitable fastening means for closing the up er ends of the channels 52 after the 'ends 0 the cross bar 51 have been inserted into said channels.

When the prayer frame is retracted into the stand, as shown in Figures 1 to 5, in-

clusive, said stand may be used in the ordinary manner for prayer and devotion, and as 1t is portable and light in Wei ht it may be easil moved from place to p ace as occasion requires. The top strip 44 is flush with the top of the desk 3 when the prayer I and said frame is folded and retracted into the stand, (prayer frame and its supporting frame an prop are all completely housed in the stand. Yet, when it is desired to use said prayer frame it may be quickly project ed or raised from the stand by grasping an pulling upward on the strip 44, and when said frame has been fully extended or raised the supporting frame is automatically swung rearwardly, whereupon the prop may be readily adjusted for supporting the prayer frame at the desired inclination, so that said frame may be used as a part of the stand.

I claim v 1. The combination with a stand, of a prayer frame adapted to be retracted into said stand in substantially vertical position or to be projected therefrom for use on the same, a supporting frame pivoted to fold upon said prayer frame and movable therewith into and out of. the stand, means for automatically swinging said supporting frame to a position substantially parallel with the top of the stand when the prayer frame is fully projected, and means for adjusting the prayer frame at different inclinations with respect to said supporting frame.

2. The combination with a stand, of a prayer frame adapted to be retracted into said stand in substantially vertical position or to be projected therefrom for use on the same, a supporting frame to fold'upon the prayer frame and be retracted with it into the stand, means for automatically swinging said supporting frame to a position substantially parallel with the top of the stand when the prayer frame is fully rojected, and a prop carried by said prayer rame and. adapted to engage at different points on the supporting frame when the latter is unfolded for adjusting said prayer frame at different inclinations. I

3. The combination with a prayer frame adapted to be folded tracted into said stand in substanti tical position, or to be projected and expanded for use on said stand, said frame comprising an easel member and a supporting member pivoted together to fold fiat upon one another when the frame is to be retracted, means for automatically swingin said supporting member to a position su stantially parallel with the to of the stand when the prayer frame is fully projected, a prop pivoted on the easel member, and a rack on the supporting member to be engaged by said prop for holding the easel member at different inclinations."

4. The combination with a stand having a slot therein, of a prayer frame adapted to be folded and retracted into said stand in substantially vertical position, or to be projected and expanded for use on said stand, said frame comprising an easel member and a supporting member pivoted together to stand of a fold flat upon one another when the frame is to be retracted, channel guides secured vertically below the slot in the stand, said supporting member having projecting lugs to engage said guides, said easel member being pivoted to said supporting member above said lugs, whereby the easel member is arranged in rearwardly spaced relation to said lugs when the supporting member is swung back to expanded position, rests for said supporting member when in expanded position, the center of gravity of said frame being behind said rests, overhanging ledges to engage said lugs and retain them in said channeled guides when the supporting member is on said rests, and means for holding said easel member at an inclination to said supporting member.

5. The combination with a stand having a slot therein, of a prayer frame adapted to be folded and retracted into said stand in substantially vertical position, or to be projected and expanded for use upon said stand, said frame comprising an easel member and a supporting member pivoted together to fold fiat upon one another when the frame is to be retracted, channeled guides secured vertically below the slot in the stand, projecting lugs on said supporting member to engage said guides, said easel member being pivoted to said supporting member above said lugs, whereby the easel member is arranged in rearwardly spaced relation to said lugs when the supporting member is swung back to expanded position, rests at the rear portions of the upper ends of the guides for receiving said supporting member when swung into expanded position, the center of gravity of the frame being then behind said rests, overhanging led es at the front portions of the upper en s of the guides to engage said lugs and retain them in said channeled guides when the supporting member is on said rests, curved members in said channels for uiding said lugs from the rear portions of said channels to the front ortions thereof below the overhang ing ledges as the frame is projected, whereby said frame is automatically expanded and held in projected position, the supporting member being automatically swung to a position substantially parallel to the top of the stand when the frame is fully projected, and means for holding said easel member at an inclination to said supporting member.

6. The combination with a stand, of a prayer frame to be retracted into the stand in substantially vertical position or to be projected'therefrom, a supporting frame to fold upon the prayer frame when retracted into the stand, means for automatically swinging said supporting frame away from said prayer frame and to a position substantially parallel to the top of the stand when the prayer frame is fully projected from the stand, and means for holding the prayer frame at an inclination-to said supporting frame when in use.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification. v

SANTE DUCA. 

